Interview no. 3: The life story of an abused woman

The life story of an abused woman

Xhemal, a young man from Arachinovo, (a village near Skopje, where lives a population with Albanian nationality) who works and lives in Croatia. One night in a discotheque he meets Ana, a young Croatian girl who lives with her mother. In a short period of time great love is born, a relationship starts and Xhemal decides to marry her. As time goes by he meets her mother, asks for her hand in marriage and shortly after they decide to move to Macedonia.

They return to Aracinovo, live in communion with his family, and Anna begins a completely different life. The influence of traditionally rooted values begins by forcing her to wear a hijab (tradition in Muslim communities), changing her name from Ana to Susanna, and limiting her freedom, personal behavior, habits, and imposing completely different behavior, in the spirit of the woman's place in the Albanian Unmanned communities and families (submissive, obedient, etc.)

As time goes by Xhemal and now Susanna have children, she first gives birth to a baby girl and later a boy. Susanna lives an isolated life and contrary to her Xhemal lives freely and without regard for anybody else, by giving in to alcoholism and violence.

Suzana loses her self-esteem and as a victim of many types of violence, falls into a deep state of depression and tries to take her own life several times. This contributes to keeping the family closed and isolated from other members of the family and community.

Her mother Darka (from Croatia)who completely lost contact with Suzana over time comes to Macedonia after many years worried about the fate and life of her daughter. With the arrival in Macedonia (Arachinovo), the mother faces and witnesses the broken psychophysical health of her daughter and makes a plan to take Suzana to Croatia to save her from the torture she suffers. As Susanna’s daughter grows and comes of age she (Rezarta) unable to help her mother and despite the strong opposition of her father and family, escapes from home and begins to live with a criminal who is also engaged in human trafficking and prostitution.

Faced with the endangered lives of her daughter and granddaughter, Darka, with the help of our organization, the police and the Croatian Embassy, managed to take her granddaughter Rezarta to Croatia, and after a year and a half, her daughter Suzana too. Rezarta, the granddaughter marries in Croatia in order to get residence and citizenship, but after a certain period of time she returns to Macedonia and the old suspicious way of living.

Suzana remains to live in Croatia, and her son still lives with her husband in Macedonia, he interrupts all connections and contacts with her, continuing to live with the traditional values in the community and transferring this model to her child.

This whole story and our work with the lives and fate of this family lasted for many years, for many years we haven’t had any contact with them.